Sucker.



am? o2@ Worrow L -I Y l vZ/n Imi@ Patentedlov. 20, |900. L. H. BmTToN & H. w. mormw.

S U C K E B (Appximipn maa sept. 21, 1900.)

(No Model.)

UNITED STATES Tricia LOUIS H. BRITTON AND HENRY W'. MORROW, OF LISBON, OHIO.

SUCKER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 662,345, dated November 20, 1900. Application iiled September 2l, 1900. Serial No. 30,714. (No model.)

'To all whom t may concern,.-

Beit known that we, LOUIS H. BRITTON and HENRY W. Mtonnow, citizens of the United States, residing at Lisbon, in the county of "Columbiana and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Suckers, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to suckers or suctiontubes for imbibing beverages and generally for conveying liquids by suction from a suitable receptacle Lo the human mouth. In such tubes, as usually constructed, the liquid that may be contained in the tube will siphon or flow back into t-he receptacle or glass the moment that suction ceases, thereby contaminating the main body of liquid with the saliva and other fluids of the mouth. The purpose of our invention is to obviate this objection incident to the use of ordinary suckers by providing an antisiphoning-sucker or suction-tube through which a liquid may be readily conveyed from its receptacle to the human mouth without any liability of Siphoning back into said receptacle When snctiorr ceases. Thus the liquid may be imbibed at intervals by suction through our improved sucker Without becoming contaminated with saliva or fiuids from the mouth.

The invention consists in an improved sucker or suction-tube having certain novel features of construction through which peculiar advantages are imparted in antisiphoning action,increased strength,and superior finish, as hereinafter described and claimed.

In the annexed drawings illustrating the invention, Figure l is a view of one form of our improved sucker. Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of one form of the suction end of the improved sucker or that end which is to be placed in the mouth. Fig. 3 represents a modification of the suction end of the sucker, in which the said end of the tube is slitted or divided at opposite points. Fig. 4 represents another modiiication of the suction end of the tube, in which it is notched at opposite points of the suction-opening. Fig. 5 is an enlarged cross-section of the sucker intermediate its ends, showing how the lap joint or seam of the sucker-tube is concealed both inside and outside by a coating composition, which also strengthens the tube, besides imparting to it perfectly cylindrical external and internal cal throughout its entire length except at the collapsible end 2, which is to be placed in the mouth of the user when imbibing or drawing a liquid or beverage from its receptacle. It is preferable to make the tube l from suitably- Yprepared paper or other similar pliable material. This can be very conveniently done by rolling or otherwise forming the sucker-tube with a straight and longitudinally -eXtended lap-seam 3, the inner and outer edges of which are parallel with each other and with the sides of the tube, being in close contact therewith and extended its entire length in. a longitudinal direction. After thus forming the tube with a longitudinally-extended lap-seam 3 the said tube is coated inside and outside with a stilfening composition of any suitable material applied in such a manner as to conceal the joint or seam and completely lill in or round out the space between the seam edge, both inner and outer,and the circumference of the tube, so that the said tube will presenta perfectly smooth, unbroken, and seamless appearance both inside and outside. By this means the tube is greatly strengthened, as every portion of its circumference throughout its length thus describes a perfect arc of a circle, thereby enabling the sucker to withstand any tendency to collapse during the drawing of a liquid through it. Before the coating 4 has entirely hardened the suction end 2 of the tube-namely, the end that enters the mouth-is iiattened, as shown, in order to provide a narrow oblong suctionopening 5, so shaped that it will readily permit the passage of liuid in one directionthat is, from the receptacle end or round end of said tube to and through the suction end f2, which is placed in the mouth. Itis owing to this construction of the suction end of the tube that when the tube is removed from the mouth or at the instant suction ceases the tendency of the" liquid to siphon back or run back into the receptacle will cause the oblong IOO sides of the suction-opening to be drawn together, thus tending to form a vacuum above the liquid in the suction-tube,which holds said liquid from passing back into the receptacle and prevents any saliva or other matter from the mouth entering the tube or receptacle.

` Y* Y While we prefer to accomplish the described antisiphoning effect by simply flattening the suction end of the tube 1,' thereby weakening its walls at the opposite ends of the narrow oblong suction-opening 5, as shown in Figs. l and 2, we can obtain the same result by slit-- ting or dividing or cutting the suction end of the tube at opposite ends of the oblong suction-opening,as shown in Fig. 3,0r by slightly notching the tube at said points, as shown in Fig. 4. In either way the suction end of the sucker-tube is so shaped and the arcs of the circle so broken or weakened as to permit the opposite sides of the suction-opening .to collapse or come together and prevent the backward flow of liquid or entrance of saliva from the mouth.

The application of a stiifening-coating 4 to the sucker-tube produces the eect of a seamlesstube, as shown in Fig. 5, by reason of its lling out and rounding out lthe spaces that would otherwise exist between one seam edge and the outer circumference of the tube and the other seam edge and inner face of the tube. This not only strengthens the suckertube and greatly improves its finish, but'also has a further advantage in assisting the antisiphoning action of tbe sucker by providing the flattened or oblong suction-opening 5 with perfectly smooth opposing faces or lips thatk will readily come together in close contact at all points to practically cause a vacuum at that end of the tube, and thus seal the same the instant that suction ceases and during the siphoning operation will conform to the opening between the lips of the user.

The stiffening composition or coating may. be made from any suitable material and preferably contains an antiseptic. Obviously the antisiphoniug-sucker tube may be made in a variety of shapes and still retain its peculiar collapsible suction end.

sas@

What we claim as our invention is 1. An antisiphoning-sucker, consisting of an imitation seamless tube having the end that is to be placed in the mouth formed with an oblong and collapsible suction-opening, the opposite ends of which are so weakened as to permit or cause the said suction end of the sucker -to close the instant that suction of the liquid ceases, thereby preventing the liquid contained in said tube from siphoning or passing backward to its receptacle.

2. An antisiphoning-sucker, consisting of an imitation seamless tube having the end that is tobe placed in the mouth flattened and terminating in a collapsible oblong suction-opening that will only permit the passage of liquid from said tube to the mouth.

3. An antisiphoning-sucker, consisting of a tube having a longitudinally-extended lap seam, aattened end provided with an oblong collapsible suction-opening, and a stiffeningcoating that conceals the said lap-seam and provides the interior ofthe suction end of said tube with smooth opposing faces to come in close contact with each other when suction ceases.

4.. An antisiphoning-sucker, consisting of an imitation seamless tube formed with a collapsible suction end and a straight longitudinally-extended seam and having a stiftening-coatiug that fills or rounds out the space between the edge ofsaid seam and the adjacent circumference of the tube.

5. A sucker for conveying liquids to. the human mouth, consisting of an imitation seamless tube having one end normally collapsed and which is adapted to conform when Opened to the opening between the lips of the use-r during the siphoning operation.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LOUIS H. BRITTON. HENRY W. MORROW.

Witnesses:

H. V. GEORGE, C. W. OURANT. 

